Siegel & Gale grows

Siegel & Gale’s London office is to add between four and six senior staff to its team, following last week’s appointment of Peter Rawlins as managing director.

Rawlins, who was forced to resign as chief executive of the Stock Exchange three years ago and has been working as an independent consultant, replaces Malcolm Parkinson.

There will be no restructure at the London office, according to Alan Siegel, chairman and chief executive of the Cordiant-owned group, but staff will be taken on to “improve the interactive and technology offer of the group”.

Rawlins will steer the European arm of the group towards a stronger share of the strategic positioning and interactive media market. “We’re disappointed that we haven’t grown faster in Europe – our share of the US market is very strong and we want to build our presence in Europe, the Middle East and Africa,” says Siegel.

Parkinson will be leaving the group when Rawlins takes up his post at the end of August. “[Parkinson] was appointed to restructure and bring the London business back to health,” says Siegel. “He has fulfilled his mission and we must move on.” Parkinson was unavailable to comment as

Design Week went to press and his future plans are unknown.

Cordiant posted a 15.5m interim pre-tax profit compared with a 29.6m loss a year ago. But although recovery is stronger than expected in the first half, chief executive Bob Seelert says full-year results are likely to be similar to last year.

However, the group still hopes to pay its first dividend for 1991 for the full year.